Renewable Energy Association calls for more RDF use in the UK

More support for energy from waste technologies such as gasification and pyrolysis should be provided to ensure more RDF remains in the UK, according to the Renewable Energy Association (REA).

In its REA Manifesto: Growing the Renewable Energy Economy, the trade association sets out a blueprint that it believes can be used by the next government. The intention is to develop jobs, investment and growth in renewable heating, power and transport fuels.

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As part of this, it wants RDF exports to be monitored and support provided to gasification and pyrolysis and markets such as heat offtakers to ensure that valuable RDF remains in the UK, within the context of a free market across the EU.

It also wants waste to energy technologies to contribute to UK renewable power under EMR.

REA also called for Government funding for CHP infrastructure to be developed for energy from waste technologies.

It would also like to see better regulation and joined up thinking to ensure a more strategic approach to commercial and industrial waste to allow more material to be available for energy generation.

For anaerobic digestion, the manifesto includes a call for more policy certainty on subsidy frameworks such as FITs, RO, RHI, RTFO and CfDs.

It also wants a review of Feed-in Tariffs for small AD plants in 2015 to correct flaws in the current cost control mechanism and reset tariffs to suitable levels.

The manifesto also requests a landfill ban on organic waste in England as already introduced in Scotland and Wales and removal of final technical barriers to biomethane injection.

REA chief executive Nina Skorupska said: “From clean power to zero carbon homes and from heat networks to sustainable transport, this is the most comprehensive guide a government could wish for if they’re seeking to maximise the value of this young, vibrant and innovative industry.

“Looking out to 2020, this manifesto sets out how the government can keep up the progress on renewable electricity, and accelerate the roll-out of renewable heating technologies and transport fuels. Certainty beyond 2020 is also vital to enable industry to invest in innovation, expansion, skills and supply chains.”